


13 - Holiday

by Jillybeanjoy



Series: Venom [13]
Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Christmas, First Kiss, Hurt / Comfort, M/M, Medication goes wrong, PTSD, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 11:10:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19227967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jillybeanjoy/pseuds/Jillybeanjoy
Summary: In a Christmas miracle, the new medication Dan gives Eddie for his PTSD actually works. In a Christmas nightmare, the side effects are also too much.Also Venom gives Eddie a present.





	13 - Holiday

After their run in with SHIELD Eddies night terrors got worse. Reliving the nightmare and trauma that was being forcibly separated from his other undid everything they accomplished since rejoining. It was getting harder and harder for Venom to calm Eddie after he had one. 

And that was just when Eddie slept. 

Venom noticed the tremor in Eddies hand right away, but when they were first rejoiced the symbiote blamed it on the adrenaline dump from the crazy day and a half they had had. But the shaking in his hands didn’t go away. Venom tried to help him keep steady, but it only embarrassed his host, making the shaking worse. 

Now Eddie wasn’t just watching for the Life Foundation at every turn, but also SHIELD. Terrified and paranoid that one or both were after them. That Venom was going to be taken away again. 

The only thing that seemed to calm him down was when Venom held his hand, which was difficult to do in public. Even when they pulled Eddies shirt sleeve over their hands, it was dangerous. So Eddie didn’t go in public very often. He wrote some fluff pieces that required very little leg work and tried to focus on getting better. 

So it was understandable that Christmas was not at the forefront of his mind until Anne and Dan brought it up. 

“So are you two doing anything for Christmas?” Dan asked at Thursday night dinner. They had just finished eating and were mostly bullshitting around the table, Venom materialized into a small head that rested on Eddies shoulder. 

Venom gave Eddie a questioning mental prod. “It’s another holiday.” Eddie explained. “Kind of the biggest holiday.” He shrugged, trying not to make a big deal out of it. “I honestly haven’t really thought about it” 

“You’re welcome to come here. We’re having a party on Christmas Eve.” Anne offered. 

Eddie put his shaking hands under the table, “Yeah, we’re not really into crowds lately.” 

“I talked to Dr. Simmons about that.” Dan said. “I think she came up with an idea that might work.” He looked to Venom, ““Venom?” Dan addressed the symbiote hesitantly. “You know how you heal Eddie?” They nodded. “We think your healing is neutralizing in him whatever effects the medication is supposed to have. And that’s why it effected you so much and him not at all the last time. You were taking it all on. So I want you to actively try to... not heal away the effects of this medicine alright? You’re doing a little too good of a job” 

Venoms eyes tightened. **“I will try, but no promises I won’t step in if it gets too bad.”**

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Dan laughed. 

* * *

Eddie hits the floor with a slap! And groans. “What the fuck, V?” He says looking up at his bed. 

**Your alarm didnt wake you. I tried to be more gentle but you wouldn’t wake up, so I tried less gentle.**

He groaned again as he got himself off the floor. Then stopped. “Wait a second, I slept through my alarm?” 

He could feel Venoms smugness in his chest. **Yes.**

“It’s a Christmas miracle” He sighed in relief. That’s the first night without a night terror since the explosion. “I think Dan finally found a medication that works.” 

Venom swam inside his body, doing figure eights in joy. 

“Alright, let’s get some breakfast” Eddie said with a yawn. 

**How are you still tired?** Venom asked lightly. 

“V, since I’ve met you I haven’t had a single good nights sleep. I’ve got quite a sleep debt piled up” Eddie opens a box of chocolate pop tarts and starts stuffing them in his mouth “the real question is, alien inhabiting my body or not, how am I not 700 pounds?” He says after finishing the third package and breaking into another. 

**We have a faster metabolism together. You need more in order to fill me, and I need more in order to constantly heal you.** Venom pokes a head out of Eddies shirt and steals one of the pop tarts out of his hand. **You get injured a lot, even for humans.**

Eddie shrugged, “Most humans don’t hunt down bad guys in order to feet their alien fresh human heads for months.” He pointed out. “Now that we aren’t doing that anymore I promise there will be less injuries.” Which reminded him, he opened a cabinet where he kept the powdered phenylalanine and poured some into a mug while started to prepare coffee. “Do you think it’s the fast metabolism or the healing that’s been messing with he meds?” 

**Difficult to say. Might be a little bit of both? Even with me promising to not neutralize the medication Dan still has you on a higher dose than he would with most patients.**

“How do you know that?” Eddie asked. 

**I searched the internet while you were sleeping. Humans really do sleep forever.**

“Just because we need more than two hours doesn’t mean we sleep forever” Eddie laughed. 

Eddie felt good. This was a step in the right direction. Hope, right when he just about to give up. Which is good because he had Annie and Dans Christmas party to go to. 

Eddie quickly got a shower, but after the second time dropping something realized maybe he was rushing a little too much. He finished getting ready and left the apartment to walk to their apartment. 

**I’m happy you are feeling better** Venom said. 

Eddie gave a “mmmmm” in agreement as he crossed the street before Venom took control and jerked him back before getting hit by a taxi. 

**Watch it,** warned Venom. **Need to watch where you’re going, Eddie.**

“Yeah,” agreed Eddie, rubbing the back of his head. 

* * *

It took everything in Eddies power to keep his eyes open while some coworker of Dan’s— or maybe it was Annies?— droned on and on. 

**Maybe we can eat her.** Venom rumbled. **That will spice things up.**

Eddie started to laugh but was able to turn it into a cough. “Sorry,” He said. 

She didn’t seem convinced and rolled her eyes and walked away. Eddie shrugged, he didn’t really care what she thought anyway. He looked around the crowded room. Dan was talking to someone by the drinks, and Anne was in the kitchen grabbing something out of the fridge. 

Eddie walked over to her, “Need any help?” He offered holding out his hands. 

Anne looked up and his and smiled “oh hey, Eddie. You guys having fun?” She asked handing him a couple bottles of wine and she grabbed two more. 

**No.**

“You can say that.” Eddie said as he set the bottles down. 

“The shaking seems a lot better.” Anne said, gesturing to his hands. 

Eddie looked down at his hands and shoved them in his pockets, the back of his neck getting hot. “Yeah, I think this last medicine is really working. I had my first night without a terror since the explosion.” 

Anne wrapped her arms around his neck “Eddie that’s amazing!” 

Eddies body stiffened until she let go. Venom slid a hand into his, giving him a squeeze before hiding back under his skin. Eddie is able to give Anne a small smile. “I’m getting kind of tired though, so I think I’m going to go.” He said with a yawn. 

Anne put a hand on his shoulder “Sure, thing. Thanks for coming, Eddie.” Then she turned and went to talk to someone else. 

Eddie showed himself out, counting on Anne to tell Dan he left. Even though it was cold, it was nothing compared to Christmas Eve in New York so Eddie decided he would walk home. 

He gave another yawn as he continued down the sidewalk. It was dark so Venom slid a hand back into Eddies, which made him smile. 

**Merry Christmas Eddie.** Venom hummed. 

Eddie looked at his watch on his other wrist, and surely enough, it was midnight. He chuckled to himself. “Merry Christmas, V.” 

**Presents are meant to be part of this holiday, correct?** Venom asked. 

“Yeah,” he laughed. “What would you like? Chocolate? Tater tots?” He was struggling to keep his eyes open even while walking down the sidewalk. 

**I was talking about a present for you.** His tone was devilish. 

“You don’t need to get me anything. it’s kind of hard to keep secrets from each other and the surprise is half the fun. Besides I don’t need anything.” It was truer than Eddie would like to admit. He didn’t need anything, Venom had already given him everything he could have ever wanted. Now that his PTSD seemed to be getting under control, everything was perfect. He was half expecting the other shoe to drop. 

**How about a different kind of present?** Venom suggested. 

Eddie was suspicious but curious. “Okay, what is that supposed to mean?” His other didn’t answer. Eddie found a bus bench and sat down, sinking into it. “Are you going to let me actually sleep in?” Eddie joked with another yawn. 

**What’s wrong? Are you okay?** Eddie could feel Venom practically vibrated with anxiety, though it felt more distant than usual. 

“Chill out. I’m fine. Just sitting down for a sec...” Eddie mumbled as he put his head back. 

**Eddie?** Venom prodded. His host didn’t answer. **Eddie!** No response. Fuck. Venom checked every body part he could think of. Nothing seemed to be wrong, but Eddie has never fallen asleep like that before. Usually it takes a lot of effort on Eddies part, he’s never done it in public before. 

Venom knew he needed to get Eddie home, so he took control of their shared body, but the movements were still jerky and puppet-like— earning them quite a few stares. Venom steered them the rest of the way home, then let Eddie collapse on the bed. 

He checked everything again, making sure that everything was functioning the way it was supposed to. He was no expert on the human body but after a few months of living there he felt like he knew Eddie’s. He had even spent some time researching human biology while Eddie was sleeping since Venom didn’t need as much sleep as Eddie did. But he couldn’t find anything wrong. There was no explanation. 

Venom fretted the whole time he watched Eddie sleep. 

* * *

Eddie woke with a groan, stretching out lazily. Another dreamless night. He could get used to this. Though he didn’t remember falling asleep... He opened his eyes and jumped as two pure white eyes stared at him. 

“Jesus, V, you almost gave me a heart attack.” Eddie said breathlessly, sitting up. He was still wearing his clothes from last night. He started taking them off. 

**“Are you alright?”** Venom asked seriously. 

Eddie stopped and looked at the disembodied head floating over his shoulder. “Yeah...? Why wouldn’t I be?” 

Venoms eyes tightened, but he didn’t answer. 

Eventually Eddie resumed taking off his clothes and getting into the shower. Venom went back under his skin. Inside him, Venom felt distant. He shut off the water and wrapped himself in a towel. It was only while grabbing new clothes from his dresser that he realized what time it was, seeing his alarm clock was at 2pm. “Man, you really did let me sleep in.” Eddie laughed as he pulled on his clothes. “I guess that means I owe you a Christmas present.” 

There was no answer. 

“Everything okay buddy?” He asked, sitting on the bed. He tried to think of what he could have done to offend the alien but he wasn’t coming up with anything. His brain felt muddled. Venom didn’t answer again. “Did I do something to earn the silent treatment?” 

Venoms head reappeared from a tendril coming out of Eddies chest. **“Don’t you hear me?”** Venom spoke aloud. 

“Well, I do now that you’re talking to me. What’s going on? Did I make you mad or something?” Eddie knew that Venom tended to swing from one extreme emotion to the next so it wouldn’t be the first time his other would be mad at him. Sometimes he wondered how much of that was Venom and how much was it Venom reacting to Eddies own messed up biochemistry. 

**“We need to call Dan.”** Venom stated. 

This surprised Eddie. “What? Why?” 

**“There’s something wrong.”** Venom said, as a matter of fact. As if that was all Eddie needed to know. 

“V, it’s Christmas. I don’t want to bug Dan and Annie. Can’t it wait?” 

**“Eddie you fell asleep in the middle of the walk home last night. I had to take us back. And now you aren’t hearing me unless I materialize and speak out loud to you.”**

Eddies face went white. “What?” The word came out as a whisper. His mind was racing. Why wouldn’t he be able to hear Venom? Venom was literally chilling inside his body, inside his brain. What did this mean? Was he going to lose him? He couldn’t lose Venom again. Not ever. “Okay. We’ll call them.” Eddie agreed. He leaned over his bed, grabbing his phone out of his pants on the floor. 

After a few rings Annie picked up with a “Merry Christmas!” 

“Hey Annie.” Eddie couldn’t help but smile. If it was only himself he would have stopped then and there and lost all nerve to tell Annie anything other than Merry Christmas and hang up. But this wasn’t just him. He couldn’t hear Venom. “Merry Christmas to you too. Is Dan around?” 

“He’s at work. They needed him for an emergency surgery.” Annie explained. “Is something wrong?” 

Eddie bit his lip. “Can you have him call me when he gets back? I have a question for him.” 

Annie, always perceptive, doesn’t back down. “You didn’t answer my question. Is something wrong?” 

“Enjoy your Christmas. Tell Dan to call me when he gets home.” Eddie said and hung up. She was calling back quicker than he thought was possible but Eddie ignored it. 

He could feel Venom swim unhappily in his stomach but it felt distant and muddled and that scared him. “Venom?” He asked tentatively. 

A head poked out, and Eddie sighed in relief. 

**“You’re scared.”** Venom observed. 

“I don’t like not being able to hear you.” Eddie admitted. “I can barely feel you. It feels too much like when you were gone.” 

**“I’m right here.”** Venom vowed. **“I’m not going anywhere.”**

“Do you think this is the medicine?” Eddie asked. 

**“I don’t know what else it could be.”**

Eddie focused on his breathing as realization swept in. “I’m sorry. I’m ruining your first Christmas.” He breath and voice were uneven. He felt like he was going to cry. 

**“Eddie,”** Venom met his eyes. A hand appeared out of his wrist, gripping his own. **“Can I give you my present?”** He asked. 

That got a laugh out of Eddie. “I thought sleeping in was my...” He started, but he was interrupted. 

Venoms lips met his, stopping him mid sentence. It was toothy but slow. Each movement deliberate and intentional. Eddie stiffened at first in surprise. But could help but sink and relax once realization hit. 

His present. A kiss. 

It shouldn’t have surprised Eddie. It wasn’t their first kiss, though their first had the buffer of Annie. There was no buffer now, no questioning. This was not Annie and Venom kissing Eddie. This wasn’t Eddie kissing Chris with Venom there. This just the two of them. And maybe that’s what freaked him out, temporarily waking him from his cloudy head. 

Eddie broke away, Venom watching him closely. His mind was already swimming with all the implications this had. There was no guidebook for what to do after making out with an alien... of another species... that shares your body... and your head space. 

**“What’s wrong?”** Venom asked. 

Eddie didn’t even know how to answer that. “Venom...” he sighed the name. “I... I don’t even know where to start...” 

Venom waited, watching him carefully. 

“Why?” Seemed like the closest he was going to get. 

**“I thought it would be a good present”** Venom seemed confused. It was so difficult for Eddie that he could not feel it himself, he had come to depend on the emotional feedback loop to tell him what Venom was thinking. 

“I... it...” He shook his head and started again. “What brought this on?” 

Venom started to squirm. **“I thought you’d like it. You like it when I hold your hand. It calms you down.”**

Eddie laughed, “that was a little different than holding hands.” 

**“You liked it with Annie, and Chris, and others...”** Venom looked away. Which was very unlike him. 

“I’m not saying I didn’t like it.” It was difficult for Eddie to admit out loud. This was so weird. So unlike anything anyone has ever experienced before. He had nothing to go off of for what was okay and what wasn’t. But even if he couldnt feel it, he could see hurt in Venoms expression. Eddie cupped Venoms face in his hand. Tenderly. Softly. “But I just want to make sure you understand.” 

Venom lifted his chin. **“I’m not a child.”**

“But this is an alien planet to you.” Eddie reminded. “I want us to be clear.” Venom cocked his head curiously. “Venom kissing— especially like that— is usually reserved for romantic relationships.” 

**“Yes?”** The word was almost a challenge. 

“Is that... what you want?” 

**“Is it not what you want?”** Even if Venom couldn’t feel Eddies emotions, it felt clear on his face. The embarrassment. “Romantic relationships are usually between people of the same species.” Eddie reminded him. 

**“You want another human.”**

The thing was, he wasn’t sure he did. He had never had a relationship like the one he had with Venom. Someone who cared for all of him, ugly mess and all. Someone who always knew what he was thinking and feeling. Anyone else would always pale in comparison. And he was sick of lying, but didn’t want to risk the truth with anyone about Venom, terrified of the consequences. He couldn’t lose Venom ever again. “No,” he said honestly. “But it makes things complicated. As does our... cohabitation.” 

They say you shouldn’t get into a relationship with a roommate. There was a reason for it. And sharing his body was a million times more intimate than sharing a living space. What about when Eddie of course fucks it up? Like he fucks everything up. What if he started this and it ruined what they had? What if his incessant need to fuck up everything good in his life causes him to drive Venom away? What if his self destruction ruins this too? 

**“I’m not going anywhere.”** Venom reminded him. He was either reading his hosts expression and guessing or only Eddie was having issues hearing and feeling his other. 

“You have to admit I don’t have the best track record.” Eddie said, looking away. Everyone left. And it was usually his fault. 

**“I’m not them.”** Venom said it with such a sense of superiority that it made Eddie crack a smile. **“We are better.”**

“Exactly. I can’t lose this.” 

**“So don’t.”** The whole thing exhausted him. His brain was a fog, trying to make sense of how much has just changed in a few short minutes. “I...” 

Venom interrupted him. **“Nothing has to change unless you are sure.”** He started to slip back under his skin, giving one last word of **“Hungry”** before disappearing completely. 

Eddie sighed. 

* * *

They spent Christmas cooking and eating. But after barely over five hours of being awake, Eddie was dead on his feet again. Venom tried to help, have Eddie just tell him what to do but Venom take actual control m, but somehow that just made it worse. So he brought his host to bed and let him pass out unceremoniously. 

An eternity later Venom pulled a black tendril out of Eddies skin and became a head. He stared at the alarm clock on their nightstand. 

**Hmmmm, surely enough time had past by now. Eddie should be waking up now, right?**

Venom did some math in his head. **Eddie fell asleep as soon at 7:30, and now the clock says 1:17. But it already said 1:17 once, and the lights were bright out their window. So that’s, what, 18 hours?**

Venom used it’s head to nudge Eddies face. Eddie didn’t respond. **“Eddie, wake up,”** venom both said out loud and in their head. Nothing. 

Venom once again rolled Eddie off the bed and onto the floor. But while before that made Eddie groan and wake, it didn’t do so today. 

Worry and dread filled Venom. He sunk into Eddies body and flitted to every part of his body, checking his pulse, breathing patterns, oxygen levels, blood pressure, checking for injuries, anything. But there was nothing. Nothing to explain why his host wouldn’t wake. 

Venom promised he would take away any of the medications effects, but surely this constitutes an emergency... he reappeared as a head and tendril coming out of Eddies chest and fiddled inside the pocket of the jeans on the floor, pulling out his cell phone and calling Dan. 

“Hey sorry I didn’t call you earlier, I was exhausted when I got home and then just...” Dan started 

**“Eddie won’t wake.”** Venom interrupted. 

“Venom?” He said, obviously surprised. “How long has Eddie been asleep?” 

**“Roughly 18 hours. We tried to wake him and his body is otherwise healthy but he doesn’t wake.”**

“How have you tried to wake him?” 

**“Moving him. Making loud noises. Threw him off the bed.”**

“I’d like you to try one more thing before you do anything to do his biochemistry so that once he wakes I can do some tests and figure out where we went wrong.” Dan said, “make a fist and put the knuckles of the fist right on the breast bone or sternum.” Venom pulls another tendril out of Eddie and follows Dans instructs. “Now you’re going to press hard on it and rub the fist into the chest. This should cause enough discomfort to wake him without actually hurting him.” 

Dan waits on the phone while Venom takes an inky fist and follows Dans instructions, he can tell that he’s right on the edge of breaking the bone when Eddies eyes flutter and he weakly swats at Venoms fist. 

**“Eddie!”** Venom shouts. 

Eddie moans and turns onto his side gently touching where Venom was doing the sternum rub. Then hears Dan’s voice on the speaker phone “Venom, did it work?” 

Eddie finally opens his eyes fully to see Venom’s head and next to it a tendril holding Eddies phone, “What...?” 

**“He is better, but we are still worried.”**

Out of the phone Dans voice says “bring him in, I’ll cancel my appointments today.” And then the click of him hanging up. 

Eddie looks at Venom with a face full of confusion. 

Venom looks down at Eddie **“Can you get up?”**

Eddie felt a little insulted and starts to push himself onto his elbows, but a wave hits him and after getting one elbow underneath him he falls back to the floor. “What is...” 

That’s all Venom needs for an answer and he jumps back inside Eddie and again takes control of their shared body. They stand up, put on the jeans from last night and a shirt that was on the floor and head out the door. 

* * *

Eddie came in and out of consciousness while Venom piloted them out of their apartment- hey- then they were out on the street- wait, how...?- a few flashes of the Dan and Anne’s apartment too quick to even react to. 

Then Anne. Eddie smiled to himself. Annie. But he wasn’t sure if the smile ever even reached his lips with Venom having complete control like this. 

He was so happy to see Anne it took him a minute to realize how unhappy she looked. He knew the expression well but couldn’t think of the word. Venom hummed gently in their mind. **She’s worried. We’ve all been worried.**

_Hey, you._ Eddie greeted. _Thought you were busy._

He could feel Venom internally scoff. **Busy taking care of you.**

_Still sleepy._ Eddie thought back softly. 

**So sleep, Eddie. Dan says you have to sleep the medicine off. He’s talked to Dr. Simmons already.** While Venom didn’t hate Dan anymore it was clear he preferred Jemma. Eddie wanted to laugh but couldn’t find the energy. **Don’t worry,** venom assured, **I will take care of you. It is my job. You are mine. And I am yours.**

This time when he smiled he could feel it reach past Venom and to his lips. 

* * *

Two days later Eddie and Venom finally went home. Fortunately the medication was out of their system enough that Eddie could properly function again. Unfortunately, with the medication gone other things returned. The shaking. The constant fear in the corner of his mind. 

Eddie laid on his couch, Venoms hand entangled in his own. The pressure on his palm relieving some of the pressure off of his chest. “Hey, Venom?” 

**Yes?** Venom replied. It was so relieving to hear him just in his head again. To feel where the symbiote rested inside his body. 

“I know I’m a little late but I have a present for you.” 

Venoms head materialized out of his chest, looking curiously into his hosts eyes. 

Eddie put his free hand on the others face, and leaned forward until lips met. Eddie could feel Venoms smug toothy grin making kissing difficult. 

**“Why?”** Venom asked playfully, repeating Eddies earlier words the last time they kissed. 

Eddie looked into two opalescent eyes. “I don’t want anyone else.” He admitted. “Just don’t leave.” 

Venom gently but playfully bit Eddies lower lip, surprising him. **_Never._**


End file.
